What are you fearful of? Many Christians struggle with the fear of being who they were made to be in Christ - world changers, disciple-makers, faithful followers. How do we move past that fear to victory? As Paul opens his final letter he gives us some clarity on what is necessary to break through the fear. This sermon looks at how to fan the flame of the gift of God and become more than overcomers.

The cross is central. The cross is the picture of suffering and shame. But there is a glory to the cross as well. The Gospel of John paints a somewhat different picture of the cross than what we encounter in the other Gospels. For John, the cross was the mission and it revealed the Son's perfect ability to glorify the Father. In his account we find a purpose that will propel us through all we face in life as well.

The first of a three part series on the cross and its position in the Christian life. This first message looks at how we too often have displaced the cross by holding misconceptions about God and how He works. In the end, it is a call to return to the centrality of the cross in our lives and beliefs.

One of the greatest expressions of biblical love is loving someone who can give you no benefit in return. One of the clearest expressions of this type of love is loving refugees and other outsiders. This message looks at Jesus' teachings in Luke 14 and several supplemental passages from throughout the Bible in order to draw some conclusions about what our hearts and actions should be toward refugees.

Hospitality is the action that communicates love. This message examines the relationship between hospitality and love, challenges believers to pursue both, and mentions some specific ways to do this.

In the journey toward loving your neighbor as yourself, what are some of the more important components for the task. This message focuses on how our worship of God prepares us for loving our neighbor.

In carrying out the action of love, the place we begin is in how we speak. This message looks at Paul's instructions to the church in Ephesus about how they are to speak to each other and calls on believers to let their language speak the language of love.

Some of the most difficult relationships to express love within are our family connections. What do we do when the one causing us hurt and pain are family? How do we learn to love our family as ourselves when it is family who has hurt us? This sermon examines the change evident in both Esau and Jacob upon their reunification in Genesis 33 and what we can take from that to find healing in our own relationships.

Who is my neighbor? It is a question that Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. This message includes a look at the parable and the variety of neighbors present within it.

* use of the opening theme of "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" falls under the fair use clause of Copyright protections.

The new series on loving your neighbor opens with a recognition of the difficulty of that command, especially in light of what "love" means. The message calls on believers to practice true love and to entrust the empowerment to do that to God.